how exciting is it for you to be the first female prime minister of this country? or does that even register for you? >> it does register for me, and i don't get up and think every day i'm a woman doing this job. i really recognize that there are a lot of australian women and girls, and i just do think if there's, you know, a girl in an australian school who lifts her eyes that day and sees me and says, "i can do anything. i can grow up to be anything," then that's just so important. oprah: there seems to be a vibrancy, an aliveness, a friendliness, an energy. [cheering] oprah: all of that. all of that. >> we're a very warm, open, accepting people. it's a vibrant modern country. we're confident in ourselves, but we bring-- oprah: that's it. there's a confidence. there's an energy. there's a confidence. so if your mate is someone who worked in a hair salon, it means you never have a bad hair day. is that true?

>> well, no, that's not exactly true. my partner, tim, i did meet in a hair salon. he is a hair dresser, and he doesn't get the opportunity to just follow me around, fixing my hair. so i have bad hair days... oprah: everybody needs one. everybody needs one. >> bad hair days just like everybody else. oprah: just about a mile away, thousands of aussies gathered to greet us at federation square. our team enlisted some of australia's top talent to entertain the massive crowd. australia's top pop star, jessica mauboy. and aussie's number one vocal group, human nature. [crowd chanting "oprah"] oprah: the crowd was on fire. the energy electric. [cheering] >> now, this is your opportunity to say a big melbourne g'day to

oprah winfrey. [cheering] oprah: hello, me have to say, i've never seen a welcome like this in my life. nothing like this in my life! in my life. in my whole life! wow! i love the fact that you all have supported me and supported this show and cared enough to come down here to federation square to say hello. [cheering]

oprah: i was sorry to arrive in this country and hear about all of the devastation happening with the floods, but i know that you're open-hearted, big-hearted you will look inside yourselves and where you can give back and where you can help and where you can be generous with those victims of the flood. you will do that. you will do it. [cheering] oprah: i can't wait to see how you live, how you love, and how you party. thank you. [cheering] oprah: whoo! we'll be back. i felt the love in melbourne, and they were just getting started. coming up tomorrow, it's day two of our 4-day australian event. >> ha ha! oprah: i told you if i ever got to australia... >> aah! oprah: it's a party and taco night with an aussie ultimate viewer. and she's she wasn't expecting this. how are you? next, on to sydney,

where we attempt to set a new world record nearly 500 feet above the harbor. >> hey, wait a minute. wait, wait, wait. oprah: don't look down. look straight ahead. see every "pinch me, i'm dreaming" moment. [captioning made possible by king world] [captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--]ra. >> the japanese ambassador said

his country is finding consolation in support from around the world. washington's cherry blossom tradition began way back in 1912 with a gift of trees from, where else, japan. >> gorgeous. >> returning the favor. we'll be right back. do your lashes want volume or length?

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welcome back, everyone. considering the situations in both japan and in libya, it's no surprise people are burning up the yahoo! search engines looking for information on both countries. >> when they're not searching for hard news they're searching for, what else, snooki. yahoo! web life editor heather cabot joins us with more. good morning, heather. >> reporter: good morning. this week lots of folks are turning to yahoo! for perspective on what's going on in libya.

searches for maps of the embattled nation are up more than 400% and we're seeing questions about the players in the conflict. people want to understand what a allies are, rebels and why the u.s. is involved. queries continue for details from japan as internet users look for information on the water supply and images of the disaster. look-ups for the shocking video showing the tsunami sweeping away entire communities are up 134%. word of elizabeth taylor's death sent people running to their laptops and smartphones as soon as the news broke. searches for her films, family and friendship with the late michael jackson soared off the chart. in hollywood news people seemed to be obsessed with the ages of this season's contestants of "dancing with the stars." they're looking up the birthdays of kirstie alley, rob mash yo. "jersey shore" is spurs lots of

buzz. snooki has become quite the internet darling. searches for her ramped up 773% this week. and she may have lots of potential dates after the show ends. two-thirds of those queries are coming from men, mostly in california, new jersey and illinois. it's no secret snooki has been a trend-setter when it comes to her hair. the snooki bump is the top searched hairstyle on yahoo! right now. other spring styles gaining popularity, the wedge, updated dorothy hamel cut, spiky black hair and katie holmes' haircut making waves as women look for new ways to freshen up their look for spring. and timely, another sign that spring fever is here, lots of folks have ice cream on the brain. searching for ben & jerry's free cone day which fell this time last year. we'll have to wait for a few more days for that free cherry garcia, though. this year the event falls on april 12th. >> you heard what heather said. people in california, illinois, new jersey, men googling and

looking up on yahoo! the snooki stuff. >> can i say something controversial? i just think -- somebody that watches the "jersey shore," those kids are hysterical. she really is a sweet girl. she's young and parties too much, but -- >> rob is standing up for snooki. right now. >> but she has a good heart, i think. >> you got to look beyond the head and the -- >> the bump-it. i miss that thing. >> oh, you keep fighting, snook. >> you know what rob does in commercial breaks. coming up, the dispute with kirstie alley and george lopez. who's apologizing now. and we'll help you keep track of courteney cox and love life. we'll be back with "the skinny." o

♪ skinny so skinny there you go, willis. sounded good for friday. we have to get him to chime in. time for "the skinny." starting with a good story talking about courteney cox and david arquette. everybody knows they split up. many people wonder why they got together in the first place. she is so gorgeous and he's a little on the strange side. >> he is. that's part of his charm.

some women like, you know, eclectic dude -- >> he's been wearing parachute pants since the '80s. he's still got them on. they are been seen on the set of the latest screen movie holding hands, kissing, giggling. could a reconciliation be in the works? ♪ reunited feels so good >> this after he apparently slept with somebody right after they broke up. he went on radio station and -- >> admitted it. >> -- sheen style admitted he hooked up with somebody because he said they weren't having any relations at home and that's why he went that direction. in any case, both are saying they still love each other very much and care for each other very much. so could we see a reconciliation in the future? >> i hope they can make it happen. >> they have a daughter coco, the cutest little girl in the world. adorable. >> good luck. i mean that. actually, george lopez, as we know, "dancing with the stars" premiered, season 12, and kirstie alley.

george lopez went on his show on tbs called "lopez tonight" and listen to what he said about kirstie and her performance on this season's premiere. >> my favorite female dancer this season -- ♪ >> she did a nice job. her little hooves tapping away. before the show she went to the market and then she had roast beef and this is her going all the way home. >> wee! wee! >> okay, so george was harsh there, as you can see, though, he did tweet an apology because some folks, particularly several women's groups are upset -- >> women's groups? just women. people. >> it was a little much. he said -- he tweeted, no malice was intended and i apologize to kirstie.

she's feisty, we know this, so she didn't go down like a shrinking violet. she got on twitter and said, don't worry about george's comments. just remember what happens to the big, bad drunk wolf falls in a pot of boiling water and piggy laughs. there's no word yet whether she accepted his apology. war of words. >> that is why we love kirstie alley. elizabeth taylor, everybody's missing her already. she just was laid to rest. on strict orders, which she left everybody in her family know, she wanted to arrive late, as was her fashion, to her own funeral. the funeral started 15 minutes after it was scheduled. everybody was required to sit and wait for her. you're looking at guests arriving. how interesting. colin farrell, one of the guests. apparently they were very close friends. >> i didn't know that. >> at the funeral there were readings by her children, grandchildren. only about 40 family and friends that were there. very small. she arrived fashionably late. elizabeth taylor getting the last laugh. >> and she left -- that was her request, i want to show up late. and have someone say during the service, she arrived late, even to her own funeral.

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and here are some stories to watch today on abc news. moammar gadhafi's libyan government representatives and leaders from the opposition are expected to meet today in ethiopia. the united nations called them together to discuss a cease-fire. one day after elizabeth taylor's burial in southern california the theater community and her fans in new york paid tribute. theater lights in broadway will be dimmed at 8:00 tonight in remembrance. sales are brisks for mega millions drawing with the grand prize to an estimated $304 million. let's get out there and get those tickets. >> wouldn't that be nice. would you show up to work on monday if you won? >> if we bought the ticket and won, would we -- i would split

it. >> you would split it? >> yeah, if we bought the ticket together. >> so would i. finally this half hour, a fascinating look at the makeup of america. the figures from the latest census are out and an amazing 310 million people in this country, 99% of whom watch this show. >> how about that? with the latest numbers comes a new way to look at what it means to be an american. here's john berman. >> reporter: what is the image of the modern family? according to brand new data from the census, the modern family is, in fact, "modern family." especially gloria. >> yea. >> reporter: born in colombia. hispanics accounted for more than half of the u.s. population growth over the last decade. now 50 million strong. their numbers doubled in five states. gloria and husband jay -- >> people understand me just fine. >> reporter: the modern couple. give us one week. 15% of marriages are mixed race. americans calling themselves multiracial up 32% since 2000. the census says we are moving

ever faster west and south. in 1790 the country's population center, literally the point it would balance on a scale, was in maryland. by 1820 into west virginia. mountain momma take me home, thank you, john denver, then into ohio. there goes cincinnati, see you, lonnie anderson, indiana by 1900. nice shot, hoosiers. illinois by 1950. in 1980, missouri said, show me the center. and as of today, the new population center of america -- plato, missouri, population 109. we spoke to the mayor. do you feel more important? >> well, personally, probably not, but for the town, i feel like it's a pretty good for the town. >> reporter: plato gets a plaque. jay and gloria, knowledge that different is the new normal. >> oh, jay. >> reporter: john berman, abc news, new york. >> oh, sophia. >> i could barely hear that story because all you're talking

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this morning on "world news now" -- dangerous doze. the air traffic controller who admitted to sleeping on the job. >> the serious safety concerns in the tower and the changes that will be made immediately. it is friday, march 25th. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." and good morning to you. i'm peggy bunker. >> i'm rob nelson. this incident took place in a busy washington, d.c. area airport, not a rural air strip. now there are concerns about similar incidents where planes need direction and nobody is there in the tower. >> is that extra? like 25 extra bucks for an air traffic controller? >> the peanuts, soda and now the air traffic controller. coming up, disturbing developments from japan where the nuclear crisis at the fukushima power plant may be

reaching a disastrous level. we will be bringing you very latest. >> an important overnight story developing there. elizabeth taylor, of course, left movie fans with some unforgettable memories and she's also left behind an incredible collection of jewelry. we'll tell you what it's worth. >> everyone loved -- >> she loved her diamonds. >> certainly did. people indulged her. first, new safety concerns triggered by the lone air traffic controller who fell asleep on the job. >> the faa has already made a big change at the airport where the incident took place. what about the rest of the airports around the country? jim sciutto reports from reagan national airport. >> reporter: the controller, a 20-year veteran with a previously unblemished professional record, told investigators he was fast asleep while two commercial jets on approach tried repeatedly to contact him. the ntsb confirmed he was working his fourth consecutive overnight shift adding, quote, human fatigue issues are one of

the areas being investigated. but it's happened before. two years ago another controller mistakenly locked himself out of the same tower for 15 minutes, leaving the tower unmanned. transportation secretary ray lahood described as furious immediately required two controllers on duty here going forward. but the faa told abc news, there are 30 airports around the country that at times have only one controller on duty. the faa wouldn't identify them but we've learned one is richmond, virginia. if you make an immediate decision to add a second controller here, why not do the same at those 29 other airports around the country? >> this is critical air space. >> reporter: bob richards, who worked 22 years as a controller at chicago's o'hare airport, america's second busiest, told us two controllers should be the bare minimum anywhere. >> common sense. you need two controllers to do

two things. one controller would be working an emergency flight having some type of problem and the other person would be there to coordinate emergency equipment. coordinating with the airlines. >> reporter: fatigue and staffing have long plagued air traffic controllers. the ntsb put addressing fatigue on its most wanted safety list >> but the ntsb has said it's not a nice thing, a necessary thing and a priority. is that something that needs to be changed? >> professionalism would dictate anyone who doesn't think they're fit to work should tell us they're not fit to work. >> reporter: the faa is reviewing staffing at those 29 airports from sacramento to san diego to tucson but they wouldn't say how many or how quickly will be changed. jim sciutto, reagan national airport, washington. public health investigators are concerned about a super bug showing up in los angeles hospitals. the germ is called ckrg, 350 cases were reported in los angeles during the second half of last year. elderly patients are most at

risk. federal investigators say it has been found in other hospitals nationwide. but there's no sign it's spreading into the general public. and now to libya this morning where nato is expected to take over command of the no-fly zone operations as early as tomorrow. the american general who has been leading the charge spoke exclusively to abc's martha raddatz about the progress being made so far. >> reporter: general carter ham took charge of africa command on march 9th. ten days later he was at war. now, he is here, in the middle of the fight, touring the u.s. warships off the coast of libya. he brought the sailors and marines encouragement from their commander in chief. >> he said, how are the attacks going? and i said, mr. president, the marines are hammering the [ bleep ] out of them. >> reporter: general ham for the first time saw colonel gadhafi daring to violate the no-fly zone. putting up an aircraft.

>> we saw libyan fighter jet taking off that was detected by a french aircraft and with standing rules of engagement, appropriately attacked that aircraft. >> reporter: this is the ship that sent rescue teams to pick up the downed f-15 pilot. these are the two marine osprey pilots who picked him up after he and his weapons officer ejected at 22,000 feet in the dead of night. it is the first time they have told their story. how did he describe the situation? >> he was understandably a little frazzled. >> reporter: the osprey descended. >> as soon as we set up approach to land, he just started bolting for the airplane. so i think he said that, know, he weighs if our dust cloud by the time we landed. he was like this. >> reporter: the f-15 pilot was on board seconds later. >> it was awesome when we said, hey, we got him. i said, yes. >> reporter: how did that feel

when you were taking off? >> awesome. i thought, that's the coolest thing i've done since being in the marines. >> reporter: despite that success, this is a frustrating, complicated mission for general ham. >> will we stop all the violence? no, we haven't. does it bother me there are innocent civilian people who have been slaughtered by these people while it's been my mission to protect them? i absolutely take that to heart. >> reporter: nato will essentially take over the no-fly zone but there's still disagreement whether allies will protect civilians. in other words, will fighter jets will attack tanks or gadhafi forces. martha raddatz, abc news, italy. and major developments from japan's fukushima nuclear plant. >> investigators say a core breach in one of the reactors has occurred. akiko fujita brings us the latest live from tokyo. good morning, akiko. what is the latest? >> reporter: good morning to you, rob. we are hearing the reactor vessel of reactor number three may have been breached. those developments coming to us from a press conference with

japan's nuclear industrial safety agency. this is clearly troubling news because this raises the possibility that radiation from the reactor which combines uranium and plutonium, could be released. this all comes on a day when work resumed at fukushima daiichi plant just 24 hours after three workers suffered from radiation burns while attempting to replace a cable at one of the reactors. two remain in the hospital. the injures halted work at the plant yesterday but crews are back out at the plant, trying to cool the reactors. the death toll continues to rise from the quake and tsunami. we learned today from the japanese national police agency that more than 10,000 are now confirmed dead. more than 17,000 still missing. it has been two weeks since the quake hit and hope for any survivors is fading with every day. on the economic front, there is more fallout from the disasters in northeast japan. nissan is considering moving some of their production lines from japan to the u.s. they are the latest carmaker to

announce changes to the production as a result of the quake. rob and peggy? >> a lot of people, when you say that, they're concerned, of course, about radiation contamination, also, is it spreading? what are you hearing right now? >> reporter: in terms of contamination with the water, we heard yesterday from tokyo officials that it's safe here, but now we're hearing of radiation levels elevated in tap water in four prefectures that surround the city. so, clearly the news coming out is not easing any concerns. we are seeing people stocking up on bottled water just to make sure, just as a precaution. >> akiko fujita, a story we'll follow throughout the morning. thanks. it could take years before japan is back to normal but the rebuilding is already under way and moving quickly in some spots. take a look at this section of highway in a photo on march 17th. it was ripped apart, literally,

by that quake. here's the same stretch of road only six days later. it's as good as news and actually reopened to traffic. amazing. >> that is remarkable when you think about getting -- some of the other towns are hit and being able to get resources there. right now, though, we want to switch gears. let's take a look at your weather. more heavy rain and also 2 feet of mountain snow in central and northern california. we'll have wet weather up to seattle. a foot of snow now in the rockies. showers and thunderstorms in the southern plains and gusty winds even a chance of hail from texas to missouri. >> 46 in kansas city. 37 in chicago. 40s in the northeast. 66 in atlanta. 77 in the big easy. phoenix, 75. albuquerque, 66. and boise, 52. >> well, after seeing all of those images akiko was showing us, we have a glimmer of good news. amid all of that devastation in japan. one victim of the tsunami is now safely back in familiar territory. >> that's right. this baby porpoise was found slashing in a flooded rice

paddy more than a week after the diaster are struck. it had a few scratches but was otherwise okay. >> animal rescuers returned the three-foot long porpoise to the ocean and it gladly swam away. that's good news. >> a mile away from the ocean. >> that's unbelievable when you see images like that. a little good news among all the bad. >> we need it. we'll be back with more "world news now" after this. hó let me tell you about a very important phone call i made.

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same cemetery where her good friend michael jackson is buried. taylor passed away wednesday after suffering from congestive heart failure. the hollywood legend was 79 years old. >> now, taylor will be remembered for so many things, including her academy award-winning movie roles. >> of course, all of her husbands, seven of them, but who's counting. >> what's wrong with that? >> and there was one other thing she was famous for and she loved being famous for all those jewels. >> loved it. here's yunji de nies. >> reporter: perhaps the only thing to rival elizabeth taylor's beauty was her jewelry. from diamonds to rubies, emeralds and pearls, her lifetime collection is estimated to be worth as much as 150 million. in 2002 she revealed her precious gems to barbara walters. this spread is just one-tenth of her collection. >> reporter: what fascinates you so about jewelry? >> oh, the beauty, the perfection, god's workmanship. they're all from the ground. >> reporter: her love affair

with sparkle and shine began as a little girl when she bought this costume brooch for her mother. years later, the many men in her life lavished her in jewels. her third husband, producer mike todd, bought her this 29 carat diamond ring. he later surprised her at their swimming pool with a diamond and ruby necklace. the diamond tiara she wore to the 1956 oscars, another gift from todd. but it was her fifth husband, richard burton, who took dazzling her to another level. first with a 33 carat diamond. then with this stone at nearly 70 carats, it became known as the taylor/burton diamond. >> when you're with a new man and you're wearing the jewelry given to you by other men, is it ever awkward or uncomfortable for the new man in your life? >> so i've been told. >> what do you do about it? >> you encourage them to give me more. >> reporter: white diamonds were more than just her fragrance.

they were her inspiration. "good morning america" was the only media outlet invited into the house of taylor jewelry in beverly hills where taylor met with the owners to sketch her dreams into jewelled reality. >> she'd start with the stone? start with the diamonds? how did this come together? >> she usually starts with the stone. sometimes she'll just come up with sketches on her own. >> reporter: the stone is the clear center of this piece, a 42-carat colombian emerald surrounded by 60 carats of diamonds which sells for $320,000. this bracelet of canary and white diamonds will cost you nearly $100,000. i'm a little nervous. how much is this worth? >> about $380,000. >> reporter: $380,000. okay, be very careful. that necklace is made of 100 carats of sapphires and diamonds. >> one of the things i love elizabeth always said is with beautiful gems and jewelry, we never own them, we're just

temporary custodians. we just take care of them until they're passed on to the next generation. >> reporter: and like elizabeth taylor's legacy, her diamonds are forever. yunji de nies, abc news, beverly hills. >> i hope you were paying attention to that. >> i'll pick up two or three of those things, and then file bankruptcy. as we said, elizabeth was laid to rest yesterday. i thought this was very cool, very hollywood. she -- the funeral started 15 minutes later than was scheduled to on her request. she wanted to be late for her own funeral, so it began 15 minutes later than advertised by request. i thought that was very cool. >> she could do what she wants. i loved it michael jackson, he used to buy her tons of jewelry and she loved that. apparently she really, really enjoyed her baubles, as they're called. >> one of her trademarks. coming up we are hooping it up. march madness this friday morning. how did we do? >> wait until we see the standings after last night's games.

oh, willis, fasten your seat belt, big daddy, it's ugly out there. full details. stay with us. fu details. stay with us.

go ahead. >> that time of the morning. time to update you on march madness and maybe more importantly on our "world news now" brackets competition. the headline on this friday morning, there is a new leader in the house this friday morning. >> that's right, that's right. don't worry about headline. let's talk about headlights. willis has uconn winning it all. this is music to his ears. that's willis. the huskies star walker ran the show last night against san diego state. that was my pick. walker poured in 36 points for uconn.

including 12 straight in the final minutes. uconn moves on. willis' bracket is not completely dead just yet. >> but close. also florida had a chance to win it. florida had a chance to win it at the buzzer in their game against byu but they went to o.t. and that's where the gators pulled away. florida outscored the cougars 15-6 in the extra period. the gators go to the first regional final since 2007. they win this one by a final score of 83-74. as a carolina grad, this next story warms the cockles of my heart, arizona destroying duke, destroying duke. >> duke's down. >> which makes it safe to say there will be a new ncaa men's basketball champion crowned come april 4th. wildcats were down by six points early in the second half and then they overpower those blue devils. 19-2 ended duke's repeat dreams. they got hammered. arizona wins. 93-77. wasn't even that close. they'll take on uconn saturday. >> that had to make you happy.

a lot of people have hot opinions about duke. final game matched butler. the bull dogs pulled out to a 20-point lead at one point but in the end they held on for a 61-54 victory getting them to their second straight regional final. this one against florida, also on saturday. >> another great weekend of games. now a little competition. >> let's get this over with. >> the headline i mentioned, about there being a new leader in the house. peggy, tell the people all about it. >> oh, for crying out loud. >> oh, please! >> there he is, that's the new leader. whatever. if you couldn't already tell, rob nelson is in the lead, 53 points. broadcast producer david falls four points back. i'm at 46. i'm still not in last place. >> third. >> willis bringing up the rear, 39 points. >> such sweet music to my tar heel loving ears. interesting note here. all four of us still have two final four teams alive so this is still close. lots of play yet to be done. >> you picked pitt to win the whole thing and they're already out.

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get lunesta for a $0 co-pay at lunesta.com. sleep well, on the wings of lunesta. >> announcer: "world news now" delivers your "morning papers." welcome back, everybody. from the "toronto sun," apparently a high school secretary in this school near quebec city and a student went up to her and said, oh, miss so and so, can i have your autograph because he loved the way she watered the plants or filed the school papers. oh, no, she was leading a double life as a porn star on top of her duties as high school secretary. >> oh, my goodness. >> she's been suspended by the school system for two weeks while they look into what to do next. some folks very upset at the school -- >> i was so waiting for that sound effect, too. one more time. >> your favorite sound effect. >> we have to get to this quickly. the oxford english dictionary, really the bible for most

people, they're adding new words because language is constantly evolving. one new word added, omg. several others being introduced. the next new word, muffin top defined as protuberance of flesh above the waistband of a tight pair of trousers. >> if the fat hanging over your belt? >> and after twins i'm very familiar with that. >> here's your polka, everybody. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

this morning on "world news now" -- change of command. nato will soon take over the libya no-fly zone military operations. >> just one sign u.s. is scaling back from this aggressive effort. it's friday, march 25th. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." good morning, everyone. i'm peggy bunker. >> and i'm rob nelson. the nato decision was made as moammar gadhafi violated the no-fly zone and as some brave u.s. marines tell their amazing story to abc news. also coming up, a very low-key private funeral for a larger than life actress. find out how elizabeth taylor wanted to keep her well-wishers waiting. >> a very cool hollywood tidbit.

>> very much like her in life. >> yes, in control. later on, an out of this world movie getting a lot of buzz out there. it features a real animated character looking for laughs and looking for some fellow aliens as well. >> like it. but first, a major change in enforcing the no-fly zone over libya. nato will soon take over that mission. >> attacks on the ground will still be led by the u.s. john hendren has the latest from washington. good morning, john. >> reporter: good morning, rob and peggy. ever since that no-fly zone began to be enforced, president obama has wanted to put a more international face on the effort. now it looks like he's going to get his wish. nato has reached an agreement to take over enforcing the no-fly zone over libya within days. >> we have agreed, along with our nato allies, to transition command and control for the no-fly zone over libya to nato. >> reporter: the treaty organization will relieve u.s. general carter ham, who took charge of libyan no-fly zone just days ago. now he's bringing american sailors and marines off libya's

shore encouragement from the white house. >> he said, how are the attacks going? i said, mr. president, the marines are hammering the [ bleep ] out of them. >> reporter: ham spoke to the crew hours after moammar gadhafi for the first time tested the no-fly zone. >> we saw a libyan fighter jet taking off that was detected by french aircraft and withstanding rules of engagement appropriately attacked that aircraft. >> reporter: earlier this week, an f-15 crew nearly became the first american casualties of the enforcement effort. their plane downed by mechanical failure in eastern libya. one crew member visible from the air. >> we saw his flare on the ground and we got eyes on his position. >> reporter: but the rescue crew aboard the marine osprey tell abc's martha raddatz the recovery was a moment of triumph and disaster averted. >> we had him in sight and said, angry, we got him, we're going in. >> reporter: there's good

concern, libya says it is complying with united nations' cease-fire but the security council has ruled that has not happened. libya is in violation. now we turn to japan where the confirmed dead is 10,000. more than 17,000 are listed as missing two weeks after this crisis. and serious new concerns at the fukushima nuclear plant, investigators expect a breach of one of the reactors. that means more have been released. and tsunami survivors in northern japan are still coping with the devastation there. as many as 620,000 households have no water. about 209,000 have no electricity. abc's clarissa ward takes us to the town of taro, which was nearly swept away by a giant wall of water. >> reporter: they come every morning, baskets bundled on their backs, searching for scraps of their former lives. a shoe, an old photo album, any

reminder of life before. "i new her. she's dead," this woman tells me. "i should take this to her family." relief workers wading through muddy waters. sawing through mounds of debris. the people of taro actually built this 30-foot wall to protect them from a tsunami. but when that wave hit, it swept right over the top, completely wiping out everything in its path. and then the wall actually acted as a barrier, preventing that water from receding back out to sea. authorities fear more than 1,000 people may have drowned. some have given up their search. >> my friend and newborn baby 2 days old are under the sea. so, there's no way i can find her. >> reporter: others refuse to stop. this man cannot find his sister.

"i will stay, he tells me, "until i find her." the living returning home, hoping to salvage something from all that has been lost. clarissa ward, abc news, taro. >> devastating. in los angeles, jury selection is under way for the trial of dr. conrad murray. he's charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of michael jackson. potential jurors would have to serve on a two-month case. that trial is set to begin in may. after spending most of her life in the public eye, elizabeth taylor was laid to rest, though, with utmost privacy. about four dozen family members gathered at a famed southern california cemetery and the service actually started about 15 minutes late, just like taylor had requested. george pennacchio reports. >> reporter: without fanfare, a small line of limos turned into forest lawn in glendale. inside, elizabeth taylor's family, there to say good-bye.

outside the gates of forest lawn, members of the media gathered to capture the moment, along with a few fans who just had to be there. >> it's just so unreal that she's not here anymore. i mean, she had so many more years ahead of her. to see her go like this it's very heart-felt. >> i was in love with her, okay? she was my example of what a star was, you know. not only her beauty, but i realized even then she was so real and she loved her children and her family so much, and that made me feel really nice inside. >> this is the last chance to say good-bye. obviously, she's not going to be around anymore. and i don't think that hollywood -- this town's not going to be the same without her. >> reporter: taylor is in the same resting place as her good friend, the late michael jackson. other legends are here too, including clark gable, red skelton and walt disney. now they have the company of one of the biggest stars who ever lived.

>> her legend is just -- you know, it's beyond words. >> reporter: elizabeth taylor was 79 when she died. there's no word yet if a public memorial is planned for a later date. in glendale, california, george pennacchio for abc news. the incident involving an air traffic controller who fell asleep on the job is now raising serious safety and national security concerns. that controller was on his fourth overnight shift in a row, working alone at washington's reagan airport when two airliners were trying to land, the pilots were not able to reach the tower. they did land safely and the controller has been suspended. the secretary of transportation ordered an immediate review of control tower staffing. meanwhile, at milwaukee's airport, the trouble was not in the air but, rather, on the ground. a semitruck trying to squeeze beneath an overhang, well, got stuck and stayed that way for about two hours, snarling traffic there. the driver was fined 178 bucks. the building was not seriously

damaged. airport workers say the impact actually felt very much like an earthquake. >> i bet. well, taking a look at your friday forecast. stormy out west. drenching rain from san francisco up north. another 2 feet of snow in northern california mountains. and 6 to 12 inches of snow in the rockies. rain, gusty winds and a chance of hail from north texas to missouri. mostly dry on the east coast. >> 40s in boston and new york. 84 in miami. 30s from fargo to detroit. 41 in billings. 52 in seattle. and 75 in phoenix. well, as prom season approaches, students at a northern illinois high school are throwing caution to the wind. you went to your prom, right? >> oh, yeah, had a good time. instead of picking their own dates, juniors and seniors at a freeport high school have an annual drawing. prom couples are paired up by random after pulling names out of a hat. >> i love it. >> once a boy gets a name, he has to ask that girl to the prom. some of the guys put on dresses to do it. that seems slightly confusing. >> i know. this is cool.

the school's tradition dates back to the 1920s and students say it's always exciting because you never know how you're going to take to the prom. i think that evens -- i got dumped like two weeks before the prom. >> oh, really? >> the worst thing to ever happen to me at the time, of course. >> tell us his name and we'll call him out. >> i think we should. i think we should. >> more "world news now" coming up. [ female announcer ] in the past 10 years

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welcome back, everybody. it is time to take a look back at the sights and sounds that made headline this is past week. of course, japan was on the minds of many as that country continues a very long rebuilding. >> of course, there was also the launch of the international military operations in libya. let's take a look at this week in quotes. >> the international community rallied and said, we have to stop any potential atrocities inside of libya. >> we die or we win. we have no other choice.

>> if they don't come to help us, so benghazi it will be lost. >> the americans and other countries are supporting terrorists and other militia. at that it. >> we'll have a military role in the coalition but we will not have the pre-eminent role. >> i think we're making real progress. i think it will be days. and the days, i hope, will be sooner instead of later. >> there is some effective containment in fukushima, but there was no containment at all at the chernobyl accident. >> for consumers in the effected area, they should be cautious about what they eat. for american consumers, there's really nothing to worry about. >> perfectly normal man from neck down. and hi is missing a face. it's worthy of a new transplant. >> anthony robles has shown us impossible is nothing. >> thank you. way to go. way to go. >> if someone told me to haul ass, it would take two trips.

>> he's biwinning and bicurious. >> i want to apologize to anybody who was startled in the office, anybody offended or looked disappointed in my action. because i was disappointed in the way i acted. >> she was a very smart, funny, glib, sharp lady. she could cuss like a sailor and she loved a good raunchy joke. she was a great companion to everyone. >> have you ever thought of what you wanted on your tombstone? >> here lies elizabeth. she hated being called liz. but she lived. >> love that. she certainly did. >> she really did. >> big news week when you look back you see all the things that happened. not to mention the jimmy kimmel kiss as well. >> that was a high point this week. jimmy had a funny line, something along the lines, i was worried i could catch something. but he said, i'm not worried

because hookers don't kiss. >> we're just repeating what he said. >> yeah, make that clear. coming up after the break, combining science fiction and comedy. >> also we'll be meeting these movie makers using animation, comedians in the new film "paul" the alien."

sleeping city there. well, simon pegg and nick frost may not be familiar names but when i say the stars of the movie, you insomniacs know who we're talking about. >> peter travers, "rolling stone" movie critic and host of "abc news now" host of popcorn sat down with the two to talk about their new sci-fi comedy. >> welcome to the show.

great to have you here. >> great to be here. >> your film's called "paul." can you just talk about what this is and what everyone's in store here? >> yeah. well, it's a story of two british sort of comic book fans. >> that's us. >> boy, wow. >> who go to america on this pilgrimage to comic con because they're super geeks and happened upon a fugitive alien on the way whose name is paul, played by seth rogen. >> what's your name? >> paul. >> what's his name? >> writer. >> i'm paul. >> kidnap a girl on the way played by kristen wiig, pursued by jason bateman and a very esteemed hollywood actress. and bill and joe also in pursuit. it's a rip-roaring comedy adventure. >> do you agree with that

assessment? >> absolutely. i just laughed he would call it rip-roaring. i'm not sure that's for us to decide. >> it's for everybody else. i always go with a recorder to see if anybody is rip-roaring. i don't know what a rip-roaring laugh sounds like. do you want to do it? >> starts small and gets big. you chuckle and descend into a massive guffaw. >> i'm going to try one. >> whoa. >> i think at that point your heart explodes. >> are you going to probe us? >> why does everyone assume that? what am i doing, harvesting farts? how much can i learn from an -- >> paul can't -- as far as he's concerned they've never done that. it seems an odd thing to do. they don't have -- >> they take blood. everyone does. >> if they have to. but, yeah, we just had this -- we had this idea straight from the very beginning of paul looked like every alien you've ever seen. the joke is that the reason

we're so familiar with his face is because we've been gradually made accustomed to it. like with t-shirts like this. paul is basically that with the big eyes and big head. it was a way of the government sort of just getting us ready for, you know, for a meeting. but paul is constantly frustrated by, a, the fact people faint when they see him, despite this subliminal assimilation, as he calls it, and the fact that everyone assumes he's going to stick his finger somewhere where it doesn't belong. >> what about the future? you're doing a "star trek 2"? >> "star trek" starts in summer. i'm just doing "mission impossible" at the moment in vancouver. >> mission impossible 4? >> directed by brad bird -- >> that's an amazing choice. >> amazing. >> do you call it mi4? >> no, it's called ghost protocol. >> you call it ghost protocol. >> i call it gwyneth paltrow. mission impossible: gwyneth paltrow.

>> so that's donees are but "star trek 2" hasn't been done? >> it's been written. there's a lot of exciting -- j.j. edwards is producing "mission" and so bad robots of the same production team and i keep getting whispers about the script being better than the last one and everybody is very excited so i'm hanging out. >> the last question is one i always ask and perfect for you two. i ask everyone to sing part of a song. >> we're singing this morning? >> i have a horrible feeling in my tummy this morning. >> that's why i save it for last. >> yeah, glad you did. what are we singing? ♪ how do you like eggs in the morning ♪ ♪ i like mine with a kiss that's what we were singing this morning. >> i have to do some cult movie research. i'm stumped -- >> a lot of fans like this. weigh in on wnnfans.com but the movie didn't do well in theaters. what are we missing? let us know.

coming up, the beauty queen who had to fight for her crown. >> how miss san antonio had to go to court. tonio had to go to court. hó

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♪ you're terrible. you are terrible. >> too many jokes in the commercial. >> oh, boy. let's get to this. the texas beauty queen -- remember we talked about this -- she was stripped of her crown for eating too many tacos, so to speak but she's been recrowned. >> the 17-year-old lost her title when miss san antonio title committee said she gained weight, breaking her contract. she fought back and she won. tim gerber now has the latest. >> i don't have any choice but to reinstate domonique ramirez as miss san antonio 2011.

>> reporter: it was an emotional ending to a bitter lawsuit that pitted teen queen dominique ramirez against pageant organizers who crowned her, then dethroned her over allegations of missing official events and gaining weight. >> i left it up in god's hands and that's why i felt i had to come here first. >> reporter: ramirez, crown in hand, went to a downtown church immediately after being reinstated. as she said all along, she has no hard feelings to runner-up who was crowned miss san antonio last month. >> i don't plan on taking the crown away from ashley. i'm hoping we'll be able to share and she can go to miss texas as well, miss bexar county, and we can both share the crowns. >> no comment. >> reporter: pageant officials didn't want to talk about the verdict but the attorney had plenty to say. >> i think the jury was confused. after interviewing the jurors, i certainly believe that. and i think the judge is mistaken in the law. >> reporter: despite all she's been through, ramirez says she still believes in pageants and hopes other girls won't be

turned off by her experience. >> love the skin you're in. strive for your dreams. never give up on anything because you never know what's going to happen. >> reporter: the attorney for the miss bexar county organization says he plans to continue his fight but didn't give specifics about his next legal move. domonique ramirez says she'll appear at several fiesta events and compete in the miss texas pageant later this month. >> i just want to finish my reign. that's all i wanted to do, just finish what i've been obligated to. i know there's been a big hole where i haven't because it was taken away. i just want to finish how i started. >> reporter: tim gerber, abc news, san antonio. >> did i miss the footage of where she was heavy? >> where she gained weight. the pageant committee saying she was too fat for the job and also some reports maybe she was late to a couple appearances or she flaked out on a couple of things. she said that didn't happen. they told her it was because of her weight. but if that's fat, we're all in trouble. >> good luck to her. another massive drama settled. she'll be on "good morning america" later.

that's it for this half hour.

this morning on "world news now," power play. the change in military command over libya's no-fly zone. >> u.s. military is pulling ck making news in america this morning. the u.s. as the mission gains more support. >> safety concerns about the nation's air traffic control system, after one controller admits sleeping on the job. >> and the champion dethroned, duke is dominated by arizona as march madness sweet 16 gets into high gear. good morning, everyone. thanks for being with us today. >> there is a major change in command in enforcing that no-fly zone over libya.

>> and the changeover from u.s. hands could happen as early as tomorrow. emily schmidt is joining us from washington with latest detail. >> reporter: rob and peggy, good morning to you. the u.s. has been cutting back on the no-fly zone enforcement. theess pentagon said 75% are now flown by the coalition partners. soon, this transition is going to be official. the no-fly zone over libya that has international support is now getting international enforcement. >> nato allies have now decided to enforce the no-fly zone over libya. >> reporter: the announcement made late yesterday means the u.s. plans to hand over control of the no-fly zone by this weekend. even the united arab emirates are now on board sending 12 planes to the coalition. >> we welcome this important step. it under scores both the breadth and the depth for the fight of

the libyan people. >> reporter: some in congress call upon the obama administration to dwoon theis mission in libya. but in an abc news exclusive the operation odyssey dawn commanders say there wasn't time before taking action. >> i don't he can stand by and have that debate about any state while he's killing his own people. by that points are it may have become a moot point. >> reporter: just yesterday, gadhafi sent up an aircraft into the no-fly zone, it was shot done. the u.s. resolution has made a difference. >> thousands of lives have been saved. >> reporter: the u.n. secretary-general says that libyan government officials and rebels are going to meet in ethiopia to discuss a cease-fire, while there's no evidence that moammar gadhafi has discussed a cease-fire up to this point. >> thanks, emily. we're hearing from the pilot

now who rescued that f-15 crew that had to bail out over the desert. the pilots told the story for the first time to our martha raddatz on board their ship. >> they told exactly what happened as soon as they got into the area. >> we saw his flare on the ground. ground and we got eyes on his position. >> as soon as we set up for our project to land, he started bolting to it the airplane. so i think he said that, you know, he was in our dust cloud by the time he landed. >> he also said the successful rescue was probably the coolest thing he's done since joining the marines. to the grim news to japan, just two weeks after the tsunami and earthquake hit. we're also learning that the nuclear crisis may be even worse than originally feared officials suspect that the reactor core at one of the troubled fukushima power plants may have been

breached. that raised the possibility that more radiation may have been raised into the environment. meanwhile, some u.s. marines are helping in the hard-hit city of sanaa. from japan, check out this section of a highway in a photo taken on march 17th. it was ripped apart by the quake. let's take a look at the same stretch of road, only six days later. pretty incredible. >> more money is being raised here at home for victims of japan hundreds of people walk among the trees. the cherry blossom tradition began way back in 1912 with a gift of trees from japan, symbolizing its friendship.

. damage in several villages in the region. 50 people were killed near the quake. the fire quickly consumed trees. pea party activists. that's why the chairman. she could be as for in the iowa caucuses. >> she line up her stated principles of economic freedom. shrinking the size. i think there's an opportunity here. >> will she run. >> i'm in for 2012. i want to be a part of the conversation in making sure that president obama only serves one term, not two. >> she told us she'll make up her mind by summer, regardless of what her friend sarah palin decides to do.

jonathan karl. >> we're now getting word from japan at that nuclear crisis may have taken a major turn for the worse. we have just learned japanese investigators suspect a core breach at one of the reactors of the fukushima plant. that would raise the threat of higher amounts of radiation released. a reporter reported that radiation levels in the air around that plant were much higher. also, bottled water remains scarce in tokyo, even though the city government claims its tap water is safe even for young children. on wednesday there were warning about radioactive iodine in the water being twice the safe levels. tests on thursday shows the water was okay to drink. in south korea companies that bottle water are working overtime to meet japan's demand. you won't believe this. in las vegas a woman went wild in court after she found out that she was going back to jail. >> i got kids. let me go! i've got kids and responsibilities.

[ bleep ] you all. let me go. no, let me -- let me -- -- >> how about that? now, it took three officers to subdue the woman. one officer was actually injured in that scuffle. she's accused of threatening and endangering two children at an apartment complex. she was in court for a competency hearing. >> crazy video. a tornado that tour across western pennsylvania was packing winds up to 120 miles an hour. that twister hit 100 homes and amazingly no serious injuries have been reported. matt gutman show us the damage in greensburg. >> reporter: captured in this amateur video, the tornado sliced surgically through seven miles of western pennsylvania. >> do you see that? it's coming down hard. >> reporter: with winds over 120 miles per hour, it gutted dozens of homes, spewing out their contents across the hillsides. diana ross called her husband moments before the tornado. to warn him. >> called him back.

>> reporter: i'm sorry. >> i know. i know. but i'm just happy everybody is okay. >> reporter: the funnel cloud then went howling toward hempfield high school. >> there's a tornado right there. get in the school. >> reporter: dozens were at the athletic field as the wind ripped down brick colonaides and twisters bleachers like they were out of straw. and that tornado came barrelling down this hill, essentially hacked this house in half. everything came flying out of these cupboards. food, powdered sugar, pink insulating foam. despite all of that destruction, check that out, that's the fridge and dishwasher. no one was hurt, almost miraculously. matt gutman, abc news, greensburg, pennsylvania. >> just unbelievable weather everywhere. in fact, there's so much snow in the lake tahoe area that plow operators are having trouble finding places to put it. a monster spring storm has produced whiteout conditions and

has dumped more than 8 feet of snow already this week. forecasters say, get this, expect another 2 feet today. it could be the snowiest season in that area in four decades. >> you said 8 feet of snow this week? >> plus 2. brutal. we thought we had it bad. >> mother nature, show some mercy. here's your friday forecast now. some heavy rain drenches the northern half of california and more wet weather all the way to seattle. up to a foot of mountain snow in the rockies. meanwhile, showers and thunderstorms in north texas, oklahoma, arkansas and missouri. >> in minneapolis you're looking at 35 degrees. 46 in kansas city. dallas and miami climb into the 80s. whatever. and 66 in atlanta. 42 in boston. mostly 50s from seattle to sacramento. they're just rubbing it in down there in miami. >> i'm jealous. the cherry blossoms are once again adding a little color around the nation's capital but this year's bloom has special meaning. >> absolutely. the annual cherry blossom festival kicks off tomorrow but hundreds of people have gathered among the trees yesterday. it was a fund-raising event for victims and survivors of japan's earthquake and tsunami.

>> the japanese ambassador said his country is finding consolation in support from around the world. washington's cherry blossom tradition began way back in 1912 with a gift of trees from, where else, japan. >> gorgeous. >> returning the favor. we'll be right back. do your lashes want volume or length?

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welcome back, everyone. considering the situations in both japan and in libya, it's no surprise people are burning up the yahoo! search engines looking for information on both countries. >> when they're not searching for hard news they're searching for, what else, snooki. yahoo! web life editor heather cabot joins us with more. good morning, heather. >> reporter: good morning. this week lots of folks are turning to yahoo! for perspective on what's going on

in libya. searches for maps of the embattled nation are up more than 400% and we're seeing lots of questions about the players in the conflict. people want to understand what a allies are, rebels and why the u.s. is involved in the conflict. queries continue for details from japan as internet users look for information on the water supply and images of the disaster. look-ups for the shocking video showing the tsunami sweeping away entire communities are up 134%. word of elizabeth taylor's death sent people running to their laptops and smartphones as soon as the news broke. searches for the beloved movie star's films and details about her family and friendship with the late michael jackson soared off the charts. in hollywood news people seemed to be obsessed with the ages of this season's contestants of "dancing with the stars." they're looking up the birthdays of kirstie alley, ralph macchio. and sugar ray leonard.

"and jersey shore" is spurring lots of buzz, too. snooki has become quite the internet darling. searches for her ramped up 773% this week. and she may have lots of potential dates after the show ends. two-thirds of those queries are coming from men, mostly in california, new jersey and illinois. it's no secret snooki has been a trend-setter when it comes to her hair. the snooki bump is the top searched hairstyle on yahoo! right now. other spring styles gaining popularity, the wedge, updated dorothy hamel cut, spiky black hair and katie holmes' haircut making waves as women look for new ways to freshen up their looks for spring. and finally, another sign that spring fever is here, lots of folks have ice cream on the brain. searching for ben & jerry's free cone day which fell this time last year. we'll have to wait for a few more weeks for that free cherry garcia, though. this year the event falls on april 12th. >> you heard what heather said. people in california, illinois, new jersey, men googling and looking up on yahoo! the snooki

stuff. >> can i say something controversial? i just think -- somebody that watches the "jersey shore," those kids are hysterical. she really is a sweet girl. she's young and parties too much, but -- >> rob is standing up for snooki. right now. >> but she has a good heart, i think. >> you got to look beyond the head and the -- >> the bump-it. i miss that thing. >> oh, you keep fighting, snook. >> you know what rob does in commercial breaks. coming up, the dispute with kirstie alley and george lopez. who's apologizing now. and we'll help you keep track of courteney cox and love life. we'll be back with "the skinny."

♪ skinny so skinny there you go, willis. sounded good for friday. we have to get him to chime in. time for "the skinny." starting with a good story talking about courteney cox and david arquette. everybody knows they split up. many people wonder why they got together in the first place. she is so gorgeous and he's a little on the strange side. >> he is.

that's part of his charm. some women like, you know, eclectic dude -- >> he's been wearing parachute pants since the '80s. he's still got them on. they are been seen on the set of the latest screen movie holding hands, kissing, giggling. could a reconciliation be in the works? ♪ reunited feels so good >> this after he apparently slept with somebody right after they broke up. he went on radio station and -- >> admitted it. >> -- sheen style admitted he hooked up with somebody because he said they weren't having any relations at home and that's why he went that direction. in any case, both are saying they still love each other very much and care for each other very much. so could we see a reconciliation in the future? >> i hope they can make it happen. >> they have a daughter coco, the cutest little girl in the world. she's adorable. >> good luck. i mean that. actually, george lopez, as we know, "dancing with the stars" premiered, season 12, and kirstie alley is one of the

break-out stars of the season. george lopez went on his show on tbs called "lopez tonight" and listen to what he said about kirstie and her performance on this season's premiere. >> my favorite female dancer this season -- ♪ >> she did a nice job. her little hooves tapping away. before the show she went to the market and then she had roast beef and this is her going all the way home. >> wee! wee! >> okay, so george was harsh there, as you can see, though, he did tweet an apology because some folks, particularly several women's groups are upset -- >> women's groups? just women. people. >> it was a little much. he said -- he tweeted, no malice was intended and i apologize to kirstie. she's feisty, we know this, so

she didn't go down like a shrinking violet. she got on twitter and said, don't worry about george's comments. just remember what happens to the big, bad drunk wolf falls in a pot of boiling water and piggy laughs. there's no word yet whether she accepted his apology. war of words. >> that is why we love kirstie alley. elizabeth taylor, everybody's missing her already. she just was laid to rest. on strict orders, which she left everybody in her family know, she wanted to arrive late, as was her fashion, to her own funeral. the funeral started 15 minutes after it was scheduled. everybody was required to sit and wait for her. you're looking at footage of the guests arriving. how's this for interesting. colin farrell, one of the guests. apparently they were very close friends. >> i didn't know that. >> at the funeral there were readings by her children, grandchildren. only about 40 family and friends that were there. very small. she arrived fashionably late. elizabeth taylor getting the last laugh. >> and she left -- that was her request, i want to show up late. and have someone say during the service, she arrived late, even to her own funeral.

stay in control to the end. i like that. when we return, the latest census report. also, popular sitcoms and what they have in common. f lunesta. and if you wake up often in the middle of the night... rest is here, on the wings of lunesta. lunesta helps you fall asleep and stay asleep, so you can wake up feeling rested. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving, or engaging in other activities while asleep, without remembering it the next day, have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations or confusion. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks. allergic reactions, such as tongue or throat swelling, occur rarely and may be fatal. side effects may include unpleasant taste, headache, dizziness and morning drowsiness. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you.

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and here are some stories to watch today on abc news. moammar gadhafi's libyan government representatives and leaders from the opposition are expected to meet today in ethiopia. the united nations called them together to discuss a cease-fire. one day after elizabeth taylor's burial in southern california the theater community and her fans in new york paid tribute. theater lights in broadway will be dimmed at 8:00 tonight in remembrance. sales are brisks for mega millions lotto drawing, nobody has won. thaft bri that brings tonight's grand prize to an estimated $304 million. let's get out there and get

those tickets. >> wouldn't that be nice. would you show up to work on monday if you won? >> if we bought the ticket and won, would we -- i would split it. >> you would split it? >> yeah, if we bought the ticket together. >> so would i. finally this half hour, a fascinating look at the makeup of america. the figures from the latest census are out and an amazing 310 million people in this country, 99% of whotch >> how about th with the latest numbers comes a hereway to look at what it >> reporter: what is the image m according to brand new data from the census, the modern family is, in fact, "modern family." especially gloria. >> yea. >> reporter: born in colombia. hispanics accounted for more than half of the u.s. population growth over the last decade. now 50 million strong. their numbers doubled in five states. gloria and husband jay -- >> people understand me just fine. >> reporter: the modern couple. >> the been a fun week.

>> reporter: 15% of marriages are mixed race. americans calling themselves multiracial up 32% since 2000. the census says we are moving ever faster west and south. in 1790 the country's population center, literally the point it would balance on a scale, was in maryland. by 1820 into west virginia. mountain momma take me home, thank you, john denver, then into ohio. there goes cincinnati, see you, lonnie anderson, indiana by 1900. nice shot, hoosiers. illinois by 1950. in 1980, missouri said, show me the center. and as of today, the new population center of america -- plato, missouri, population 109. we spoke to the mayor. do you feel more important? >> well, personally, probably not, but for the town, i feel like it's a pretty good for the town. >> reporter: plato gets a plaque. jay and gloria, knowledge that different is the new normal. >> oh, jay. >> reporter: john berman, abc news, new york. >> oh, sophia. >> i could barely hear that story because all you're talking

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